Honouliuli Internment Camp

Honouliuli Internment Camp preserved

Hidden deep within an overgrown gulch in Kunia, Oahu, on land owned by Monsanto, lay the remains of the Honouliuli Internment Camp, one of Hawaii’s largest World War II internment camps. Once known as jigoku dani or “Hell Valley” by its inhabitants, the internment camp was unique in having detained both prisoners of war and a diverse group of U.S. citizens and resident aliens, including those of Japanese, Korean and European descent. After the war, the camp was bulldozed, leaving historic artifacts and remnants nearly untouched for 60 years.

Monsanto is committed to preserving the site and its local history for generations to come.

In 2007, Monsanto purchased the surrounding Kunia farm area and pledged to work with interested community organizations to preserve the Camp. Since then, Monsanto, in partnership with the local community, has worked towards achieving the highest level of preservation, in hopes of donating the land and establishing the site as a U.S. National Park. And our hard work paid off...

President Obama designated the site as a new national monument for historic protection

On February 19, 2015 President Barack Obama announced that he will be designating the site of the former WWII Honouliuli Internment Camp as a new national monument for historic protection. Monsanto is very excited about reaching this significant milestone in the community’s efforts to preserve the Honouliuli Internment Camp into perpetuity as part of the U.S. National Park System. Transferring ownership of this land to the Federal Government is the result of years of hard work by numerous individuals and organizations who have been diligently and patiently working, step by step, to make this community vision a reality. To learn more about this important milestone, go to:

The site is an important part of the Hawaii’s history and part of who we are as a resilient community.

While Monsanto Hawaii is heavily focused on agricultural conservation and sustainability, we have a social responsibility to perpetuate Hawaii’s culture and history. We want to ensure that the Honouliuli Internment Camp is preserved in perpetuity for the educational benefit of future generations. We must all do our part in seeing this through.

To learn more about how the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii believes the memorial will serve the future, click here.